What are the best practices for handling user sessions in PHP to prevent errors like the ones mentioned in the forum thread?

The best practices for handling user sessions in PHP to prevent errors like the ones mentioned in the forum thread include properly starting and destroying sessions, checking for session variables before using them, and using session_regenerate_id() to prevent session fixation attacks.

<?php
session_start();

// Check if session variable is set before using it
if(isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
    // Use session variable
    $user_id = $_SESSION['user_id'];
} else {
    // Handle case where session variable is not set
    echo "Session variable not set";
}

// Regenerate session id to prevent session fixation attacks
session_regenerate_id();

// Destroy session when user logs out
session_destroy();
?>